Wreagnus,'] 



76. TIIYMELACE^R. 



287 



Order 77. EL^AGNACE^. 



Shrubs or trees, silvery scaly. Leaves alternate or opposite, 

 entire. Flowers small, regular, 1-2-sexual, white or yellow. Peri- 

 anth tubular^ 2-6-cleft, valvate in bud. Stamens usually 4, alternate 

 with the perianth lobes. Ovary free, 1-celled, with a solitary erect 

 ovule. Fruit indehiscent, enclosed within the accrescent perianth 

 tube. Seed ascending ; albumen or scanty ; embryo straight 

 axile ; cotyledons thick, radicle inferior. 



EL-ffilAGNUS, Linn. 



Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, entire, densely silvery scaly on the 

 lower surface. Flowers hermaphrodite or unisexual by abortion. 

 Perianth-tube constricted above the ovary; limb valvate, 4rcleft, deci- 

 duos. Stamens 4, on the mouth of the corolla. Stylo linear included ; 

 stigma lateral. Fruit with a bony or coriaceous endocarp. 



E.latifolia, Linn. Sp. PI. Ed. 2. 177 (excl. syn.) ; Fl. Br. L 5. 202 ; 

 Bedd. Fl. Sylv. t. 180; Brandis For. Fl. 390. Kologa, Schl. ; Dalz. & 

 Gibs. Bomb. F. 224. Nurgif ambgool, Vern. ; Halige balU, jeeh huthri 

 K. ; Nildooh, M. 



Widely distributed throughout the hilly parts of India, Burma, 

 Penang, South India and Ceylon. 



Throughout the Konkan and North Kanara, usually in or near ever- 

 green forests. Fl, Nov. -Feb. Fr. May- July. An extensive climber with 

 spinous stems 4 in. in diameter at the base, branches with spines which are 

 often curved. Bark smooth with corky excrescenses ; shallow fissures at 

 base of stem ; inner bark red. Wood white or grey, smooth, soft. Annual 

 rings more or less distinct. There is a large central pith. Pores large to 

 small, uniformly distributed, numerous. Medullary rays fine to moderately 

 Isroad. Weighs 42 lbs. to the cub. ft. Fruit ellipsoid with a subacid, 

 fleshy pink perisperm covered outside with silvery white scales, endocarp 

 with 8 longitudinal ribs. Within the coriaceous putamen there is a coat 

 of thick felt round the fleshy cotyledons. An excellent edible fruit but not 

 abundant. 



Order 78. LORANTHACEZES. 



Parasitic evergreen shrubs. Leaves coriaceous, sometimes wanting, 

 generally opposite, entire, exstipulate, often 2-bracteolate. Flowers 

 regular, hermaphrodite or unisexual, usually bracteate. Calyx adnate 

 to the ovary, limb truncate or 0, rarely toothed. Petals 4-8, free or 

 connate, valvate in bud. Stamens as many as corolla lobes, usually 

 inserted on them. Ovary inferior, 1-celled ; style short or long, 

 stigma simple, ovule 1, erect. Fruit a 1- seeded drupe, albumen fleshy, 

 embryo straight, radicle superior. 



Flowers 2-soxual ... 1. LoBANTnTTS. 



Flowers 1 -sexual 2. ViscuM, 



